Blog archive all
9th April 2015
For most practical purposes the Republic of Yemen no longer exists. Whether it can ever be reassembled into a single state is, to put it mildly, doubtful – though that appears to be the objective of the Saudi-led military intervention.
Even in more peaceful times the writ of central government… Read more
8th April 2015
Since seizing power in Egypt, the Sisi regime has been cracking down on NGOs and homosexuality (among other things), and the latest move by the curiously-named Ministry of Social Solidarity strikes both targets in a single blow.
The ministry is investigating a Giza-based NGO which is said to have… Read more
7th April 2015
Saudi Arabia has asked Pakistan to support its military intervention in Yemen by providing combat planes, warships and soldiers. But according to an article in the Pakistani newspaper, The Nation, Saudi Arabia has a further request: that any troops sent by Pakistan should be Sunni Muslims, not Shia… Read more
6th April 2015
Prompted by the current turmoil in Yemen, I decided to search the old WikiLeaks files for US embassy cables discussing the Houthis.
There are 284 documents with the keyword "Houthi", covering a period from August 2004 (during the first brief war between the… Read more
5th April 2015
Sisi: trying to avoid "wrong calculations". Photo: Erin Kirk-Cuomo
Amid speculation that Egypt may send ground troops to Yemen, and numerous reminders that the last time it did so – under Nasser in the 1960s – the adventure proved disastrous, President Sisi sought to allay concerns yesterday.
"… Read more
2nd April 2015
Have British-made weapons been used by Saudi Arabia in air strikes that caused mass civilian casualties in Yemen this week? The question was raised yesterday in the Daily Telegraph, a popular newspaper among Britain’s military top brass.
While the Telegraph merely reported calls for an… Read more
1st April 2015
There was a very informative and wide-ranging discussion of the situation in Yemen earlier today, which I had the privilege of chairing. It was organised by CAABU, the Council for Arab-British Understanding. The speakers were Abubakr al-Shamahi, a British-Yemeni journalist, and Baraa Shiban… Read more
1st April 2015
The saga of the UAE and its harassment of critics continues. Last week it emerged that two Americans who publicly criticised the exploitation of migrant workers in the Emirates had found themselves under investigation by a private detective who was looking for people to say negative things about… Read more
30th March 2015
The words "Iranian-backed" and "Houthi" are now coupled together in virtually every media report about the conflict in Yemen. Nobody – least of all, the Iranians – would deny that Iran supports the Houthis. But how extensive is that support and what forms does it take?
Where some kinds of support… Read more
28th March 2015
Two Americans who publicly criticised the exploitation of migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates have found themselves under investigation by a private detective, the New York Times reports.
A private investigator called Loren Berger has been making inquiries about Andrew Ross, a professor at… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
